On 8/11/2011 tnd wrote:>But new research from Austria's Innsbruck University has revealed it is>more likely Oetzi died from a fall while climbing. >
He might be the original epic-crawler (shades of Doug Scott, Joe Simpson, etc), after breaking himself; ... as my vague memory of where he was found did not appear to be at the base of a cliff, but more like an undulating ridge top?>>Check out picture 4. Macca?>
A dead* ringer for sure ...(*Heh, heh, heh).

>~> It goes to show that aid climbing has a long and proud tradition, as Oetzi is carrying one of the original cheat-sticks, and knife-blade protection!

Ahh yes I remember now . . .
That was from a very old interview in either Ice, or Ice&Ice Magazine . . .
Spear is actually only for protection (from Sabretooths) not progression . . .

Unfortunately the article was all about my crazy soloing on 'rock' which was
frowned upon at the time - rock that is, not soloing . . .
I think the picture by-lines went something like
"This crazy-man thinks we should climb on 'rock' not Ice!
He also believes in reincarnation .. . ."

I have just received the Nov 2011 National Geographic magazine and there is an article on this topic pages 118-133.

~> Long and short of it is; Otzi was murdered.
Shot in the back by an arrow, and the arrowhead is still inside him. It apparently severed an artery, so was bloody, but quick...
It also reveals that blood accumulated at the back of his brain, suggesting trauma, possibly from falling on his face as a result of the arrow, or a coupe de grace by his assailant...

The aerial photo of the site where his body was found, confirms in my mind that he was found in a plateau area at elevation, in a mountainous region, but not at the base of a cliff as such, thereby precluding the likelyhood of death from a fall.